Parents: 6 ways to protect yourself from sick kids

Let’s face it-- children are harbingers of germs. When children come home from school with a cough or cold, illness can spread quickly. What starts as a minor sickness can easily turn into a health issue for the entire family.

Vikash Modi, M.D., a family medicine physician, shares six ways parents can protect themselves from their sick kids.

1. Be preventative. The best way to protect yourself from sick children is to prevent them from becoming ill in the first place.

“That’s when an annual wellness exam for the child comes in,” Dr. Modi says. “The child is generally feeling pretty good at a wellness exam. And it’s a good chance to identify issues and talk about overall health, instead of when the child is already sick. And you have to focus on the illness when they come into the office.”

Annual exams provide an opportunity for children to receive routine vaccinations, such as the flu shot. These vaccines help protect them from getting sick.

2. Teach good hygiene. Children spread germs when they sneeze, cough, rub their eyes with their hands and then touch other toys or surfaces. Teaching good hand hygiene can significantly reduce the risk of spreading infections.

“Make a game out of cleaning their hands,” Dr. Modi says. “That gets them used to the hand cleansers that are in the classroom and also the soap and water that is in the bathroom. Create a reward system where children earn a sticker or gold star each time they clean their hands. This can help encourage healthy habits in a fun and positive way. Also, teach your children to cough into their elbow instead of their hand. And to use a tissue to clean a runny nose, not their hands.”

3. Try to address symptoms early. If one of your children suddenly develops a cough or runny nose, be proactive. Consider providing your whole family with immune boosters like zinc, vitamin C and echinacea.

“A lot of immune boosters come in tablet forms for adults and powder forms that you can mix with a juice or water for kids. Though most people’s immune systems should be able to fight off most of these bugs, taking immune booster can really help kids and their parents stay ahead of the game.”  

4. Sequester sick children. “Anybody with a fever needs to be quarantined,” Dr. Modi says. “It sounds pretty extreme, but if you have two or three kids at the house, and one of them is coming down with a fever, they should be separated so the illness is contained.”

5. Clean well and don’t re-contaminate. When you have a sick child, it’s important to use disinfectant wipes to clean countertops, toys and hard surfaces. Make sure dishes are properly washed, and if possible, assign the sick child their own glass and cup.

It’s also important to get rid of the sick child’s toothbrush to prevent recontamination.

“If you use a toothbrush when you are sick, and then you use it when you are healthy, you can get sick all over again,” Dr. Modi says.

6. Get plenty of rest so you won’t get sick as well.  “When you are a parent, you put yourself on the front lines, and sometimes you go down,” Dr. Modi says. “So it’s important to maintain your own wellness when you are taking care of a sick one.”

As a preventative measure, take immune boosters two or three times a day. Share the responsibility of caring for a sick child with your spouse or partner. This allows everyone to get needed rest and take breaks.

“It can get really exhausting when your child is sick,” Dr. Modi says. “Sometimes you have to take a day off of work, and your life gets kind of swept upside down. Make sure everyone is getting plenty of rest and try to maintain your sanity.”

Flu shots are available at Piedmont’s urgent care locations, primary care offices and Piedmont QuickCare at Walgreens locations.   

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